14 DAY TRIAL // Digital cameras come in many sizes, shapes and feature sets, depending on the target customer (amateur photo taker, regular person, professional photographer, etc.). Sony's latest two models are for experts with high expectations.
Said two cameras are called Sony Alpha A7 and Sony Alpha A7r, and as their names suggest, they aren't all that different from one another.
In fact, the only relevant distinction is the quality of the 35mm full-frame Exmor CMOS sensor. The Sony A7 has a 24.3 effective megapixel resolution, while the A7r has a 36.4-megapixel capability, plus a “gapless” on-chip lens (eliminates the gaps between pixels in the sensor).
Speaking of lenses, Sony's new products utilize interchangeable lens systems, which means that the five new full-frame E-mount lenses can all be switched around whenever owners want, assuming they buy them.
NFC is also included. The wireless pairing mechanism recognizes when the camera and a Sony Xperia or other Android device are near each other, allowing a single tap or button press to establish a Bluetooth link between them.
Should you have the Smart Remote Control app (for controlling shutter and exposure from a mobile device) or Multiple Exposure app (for creating a composite of sequential exposures) on your phone or tablet, you'll expand the feature set of the new cameras even further.
What's more, Sony included a new BIONZ X processor said to have three times the processing speed of the previous ones.
Because of it, the company claims, photographers should be able to shoot professional-quality Full HD videos even when light is dim.
Finally, the cameras have autofocus support, and this is one last difference between them: the A7r uses a Fast Intelligent AF, while the A7 has a Fast Hybrid AF reliant on phase and contrast detection.
Sony isn't selling either product yet, but it is accepting pre-orders, in the UK at least. Prices are of $2,300 / €2,300 and $2,000 / €2,000 (A7r/A7, body only).